Merlina
by Queen Fifi
Summary: Well there really isn't a catagory for this but Oh well. just R/R and don't be to hurtfull...it's not finished!!


Well since ff.net dropped out my previous fic, I've left them but for the people, I've come back. So without further ado my latest ficcy!!!  
  
Merlin  
By: Stephanie Vining  
  
Prelude:  
A cold autumn wind blew down on a village hours away from waking. Down an empty street, past a carthorse dosing on the curb, to the one house whose windows shone with flickering candle light. In through the side door, to find a spotless kitchen, its cupboards full of chipped plates, bowls, and mugs. Down a narrow hallway, with doors branching off on either side, the bedrooms of young boys, with wooden swords propped in easy reach if one woke in the night and found need of it.  
Another door, the portal of a small study, had a slightly glossy look to it. The work of hours by the soft gleam it gave in the dim candlelight floating from a door at the end of the hallway. The high, thin wailing of a babe reached any ears close enough to hear it. The room, though indeed the largest in the house next to the kitchen and family room, was overly full. Three couples sat close together on a small wall bench, while four young boys sat quietly in the floor staring at their feet.  
A man, just brushing his fourth decade of age, was sitting at the head of the one bed in the room whispering softly to a woman who must be his wife. The lady on the bed, she as well in her fourth decade, held far more beauty than any of the young women in the room. Her face was pale and sweaty, her breathing heavy as she tried to fill her lungs adequately. A medic and a birthing-woman were both bent over the newly born babe, assuring that all was well with the child.  
The proud father whispered to his breathless wife repeatedly, "A girl Lily. You've finally born a girl!" the excitement in his voice did not portray the pride he held in his wife, after her bearing of their seventh child. All her exhaustion in her voice, Lily opened her eyes to her husband. "Is it really Tom? You wouldn't dare lie to a laboring woman would you?" She smiled slightly to remove some of the sting from her words.  
"Well mom," the medic, also her eldest son Charlie, said walking toward her. "If you don't believe him, then believe your eyes." And he handed her her seventh child, yet only daughter. With misty eyes she gazed down at her child. "Oh, she is like a small piece of heaven, picked out by the stars to be my own personal angel." Unnoticed, tears slid softly down Lily's flushed cheeks. Maggie, the mid-wife who was herself with child, gazed at the joy on her mother-in -law's face. Imagining of how in a few months she would have that privilege. The babe calmed, and slept.  
Wearily the newly made mother closed her eyes, surrendering to the sleep, which sought to claim her. Tom rose and gestured for everyone to take their leave, for the child would be here tomorrow as well. But Richie, the youngest of the children next to the babe, climbed up to his dosing mother. "Momma?" he asked, silent not wanting to wake her if she already slept. Instantly her lids fluttered open and Lily gazed down at her son. "Yes, pet?" Richie smiled at his mother, his toothy grin a mirror image of his father's. "What's my sister's name?"  
Shock of an unknown source stunned her, draining her pale face of all color. Tears sprang to her eyes almost immediately. She had born the child but had no name for her. Her only daughter, of whom she'd dreamed for the twenty years of her marriage, was nameless! Gathering her energy and trying to sound reassuring, Lily whispered to the small lad, "I haven't one yet, darling. I might have one on the 'morrow. Now off to bed with you." And she gave him a little shove in the direction of the door. Soon the room was cleared of all but Lily, Tom, and the nameless child.  
Sensing her mother's distress, the tiny infant began crying again. Fighting to hush the child, and control her emotions, Lily was near collapse. Tom, who was incredibly amazed that his proud wife could be crying, was instantly at her side. "Lily-Petal," he said smiling down at her. "Whatever could be wrong?" Smiling through her tears, the distraught woman managed a sitting position.  
"Nothing." she murmured. "Except I've a baby in my arms that I've dreamed of for twenty years, yet she hasn't name!" At this point, Lily lost control. Tom started to take the child, then stopped when his wife irritably shooed him away. This time is was his turn to be stunned. Twenty years they'd been wed, and never had his wife shown him hostility. As if realizing her folly, Lily stopped everything, even breathing for a moment, forcing her self to calmness. Looking up appealingly to her dear husband she smiled, the drawn smile of one who is exhausted but knows their work isn't done. "I'm sorry, love. I've taken all my worries and woes and placed them upon you. I didn't mean it." here her smile was genuine. "But we all know I'm a bit out of sorts after a birthing." Grinning in agreement, Tom sat down to deal with one of their problems...their nameless daughter.  
  
An hour later they had made no headway, and Lily's head was nodding every few seconds. "Well how about something from that country of yours? What is it again?" Tom asked wearily. "Japan." The one word brought a joy to her heart and a spark to her eyes. Casting her eyes around the room, she finally had an idea. There, on the wall opposite her, was the drawing Phillip had done of the last harvest. He was a very detailed artist, and the picture depicted a cherry picking.  
"Sakura," she smiled at the thought. "It means 'cherry blossom'." With a sigh that came from her very soul, Lily looked to Tom. "You may pick her second name." Tom grinned and offered his mother's name, Michelle. "Wonderful. Now it's time to...sleep." The wearied woman put action to words and promptly her head dropped to her chest. Just as Tom was lifting the babe so his wife might sleep, her eyes snapped open as if she were wide awake. "No, Tom. Though I love all our children, she is my daughter. Sakura is most precious to me." Grinning all the while, He poured her a mug of water, blew out the flickering candle and left, saying he would sleep with one of the boys so she could rest properly.  
Smiling gratefully, Lily leaned back against the pillows, sleep claiming her and baby Sakura almost instantly. Through the smallest crack in the shutters, what appeared to be an incredibly dense fog came in and hovered over the newly made mother. And three hours later when baby woke and cried, mother didn't hear.  
  
Chapter  
  
1  
The Sun  
  
A light breeze flew over the brightening sky. A young girl, whose pale face shone in the pre-dawn light, was sitting in a window seat in a room long vacated. Her curls shone with a blue sheen, over the dominating black and a bright fire shone in her gray-blue eyes. Out of her many roomed home, this was Sakura's favorite room. No one had ever told her why it was forbidden; they had simply said that she wasn't allowed in. But this room, unlike all the others, held an aura of femininity that none of the other rooms had. It smelled of flowers, and Flores', a cheap yet very fancy perfume that most women in the village used.  
Sakura remembered when she was only about five years old having a nightmare, and running straight for this room. She had held her doll, the only reminder of her mother, and snuggled between the covers and breathed in the scents of Flores' until she fell asleep. The next morning her father had found her there, and been so furious, she'd thought that his face would explode from the deep plume it turned to.  
Sakura had received a sound beating for that and more warnings to stay out of the room. The sudden halt of the breeze startled her, and Sakura left the catacombs of her mind just as the sun peeked over the horizon. Her foot twitching, Sakura leapt out of the window, determined this time. She would catch the sun before it got high enough to evade her.  
Her feet flew as if they'd wings, and her body followed, encouraged by the now strong gusts of wind from behind her. Faster and faster she ran, never losing her balance and never stumbling to look back. Momma, the thought raced through her, as did the single rock shard sharp enough to pierce the leather-bottomed shoes. She might have stepped on a pebble for all the notice she applied. I have to catch it this time! Faster, the wind howled around her. You must hurry!  
She willingly obliged, ignoring the constant stitch in her side. She entered the Silver Wood, skirting around the edge of the Diamond Lake, trying to beat the sun to his first seat of morning. Bursting out of the Wood, the furthest distance she'd ever run, she came to a crumbling cliff- face that led off into the sea. And as Sakura looked on, the sun defeated her for the millionth time it seemed. She turned around, the very picture of dejection and shattered hope.  
Again I've failed. Her thoughts bitterly informed her. The wind gusted around her consolingly, trying to ease her anguish. A wren flew down and lighted on Sakura's shoulder, singing a song so cheerful, that she couldn't help but smile. It's but one day, the wren sang. There's always tomorrow. More creatures who were hardly ever seen by a seasoned hunter, much less a lowly village girl, came and flocked around her, trying to ease her pain by projecting their losses.  
No matter how many cheerful thoughts accompanied these pictures, the tears still fell. Why did you leave without me, Momma? Sakura, no matter how hard she thought, could not comprehend why she'd be left alone without ever holding a conversation with her mother. She sank to the ground, crying bitterly in self-pity. Three fox children climbed up into her lap, nuzzling her face and thinking thoughts of days running through meadows, and racing each other through cornfields. More and more different birds lighted on her shoulders, projecting thoughts of the glistening Diamond Lake, shimmering in the noon sun. Of mountains covered in powdery snow, of eggs hatching to reveal their featherless occupants.  
Amidst all the joyous visions and happy sounds that were made, a slightly shivering girl still wept over her repeated failings. Finally, all the creatures backed off, moving aside for a larger beast. A gray and black wolf, her muzzle slightly frosty from the morning chill. Why do you cry, human child? Her voice had a slight grating sound to it, but was otherwise soft and deep. Looking up from her knees, Sakura stared at the beautiful creature that sat before her.  
I'm crying because the sun took my mother away on the day I was birthed. I've never met, or spoken with her. Every morning I chase the sun to try and fight him to win her back; here she patted her slight wooden sword. But every day I fail. Even though Sakura knew that when people died they didn't go to the sun, she'd always been told that the sun had risen and taken Lily's soul with it. The wolf walked toward her and gave her what could only be a wolf's version of an embrace, her right paw over Sakura's right shoulder, her muzzle resting lightly on the left.  
I to have felt such a loss, the wolf said, her thoughts a bear whisper in Sakura's mind. I have lost my mate to a hunter, and all but three of my seven pups to the cold. I hunt for them now. As that thought died away, some of the smaller animals backed away. I'm sorry to bother you with such unimportant things, her voice weary with tears and exhaustion from running. Climbing nimbly to her feet, the young human started back towards home. The she-wolf came along with her until they reached the edge of the village, and then scampered back towards the forest to hunt.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Still drying tears on her face, Sakura entered the house through the pantry door. The day, though still early, was already full of activity. She half-ran to the kitchen trying to get there before..."SAKURA?"...Her father. Now slowing her pace to a determined walk, the dark haired girl left the pantry with a half filled sack of flour, some apples, and a bag of grain. She made a look of innocence as she quickened her pace and walked into the kitchen. Tom Offstomei's startled face came around the corner from the hallway as she entered the smallish room.  
Concern quickly subsiding into anger he stared down at his daughter. She simply curtsied, as best she could with her arms full, and went about making breakfast. "Where have you been, young lady?" And here we go again. The thought ran through her mind before she could repress it. Stamping out all thoughts of such, she pulled out her biscuit bowl and poured in liberal amounts of flour. Then headed towards the cold room to get some cheese.  
Her father sat down, freed of his parental worry, to smoke his old worn pipe. Sakura came back with cheese and firewood then set out to the barn, to get the eggs and milk.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The barn had always held a certain aura that appealed to Sakura. Maybe it was the smell of fresh hay, or the slight musky scent of the animals. But she thought it was the silence. She walked up to the old worn cow that had seen nearly the years Sakura had. Her father said he and some of his mates were planning to purchase a calf from the Old-One down the street, but he'd only mentioned it once. Tutting to the old beast, she kept on by to the hens. Good morning lass, the rooster crowed in his ever- cheerful mood. Hello. Any eggs to spare today? She loved conversations like these. Always cheerful, never upset or whining. As always good lady, help yourself. She gave him a slight curtsy, and hurried on to the hen house.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
After twenty minutes, she had the fire going strong and a thick slab of ham frying. The biscuits were rising and the eggs were waiting to be cooked. She set the tea-kettle over the flame and tried to juggle the apples over to the ham.  
  
"The morning's, bright;  
The day is new;  
The morning shines, for me, for you."  
  
Sakura hummed the song almost unconsciously while she set the biscuit pan over the flame. A wren, the self same wren that had comforted her this morning, lighted on the open windowsill. Grinning she sang the next verse, the tiny bird whistling the harmony.  
  
"A gentle wren, his voice so true;  
Has come to sing for me, for you."  
  
Trilling his voice two octaves above her the wren sang launching into the next verse.  
  
"The laughing sun, his sound so gay;  
Has risen up to greet the day;  
Under the waves, his sound rings true;  
His laughter sounds for me, for you."  
  
Giggling and grinning all the way, she went to let the wren inside. It's awfully cold outside, and if they would but fit, I'd have all the animals inside this house. Smiling sweetly at the tiny bird, she placed him on her shoulder and continued her work.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
School was out, and the day was near over. Only the afternoon's chores were left, and among them were watching her younger nieces and nephews. Only one more year and she could surrender that task to Jessica, if she no longer wished to have it. Sakura was only Jessica's senior by three months, but that counted as far as her brothers were concerned. For it was their children she watched, and though she was the oldest of youngsters, sometimes she had a tendency to teach them some of her more.boyish passions for lack of a better word. Such as swordplay. Only last week she and Jessica had been in the back of Henry's store (Henry was the second eldest of the Offstomei's), and as Jessica had drawn her blade from her back scabbard, she had sliced her knee length braid to just under her ears. Needless to say, Maggie was furious.  
  
So whatcha think? R/R PLEASE!!!!!!! Queen Fifi 


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